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Matrix inverse

The 2×2 formula and Gauss–Jordan elimination for the rest.

A⁻¹ is the matrix that undoes A. For 2×2 there is a formula; for anything bigger, row-reduce [A | I] until A becomes I, and the identity becomes A⁻¹ — every row operation is shown.

Worked example: inverse of [[1,2],[3,4]]

Linear-Algebra · Matrix-Inverse

Inverse of [[1,2],[3,4]]

\left[\begin{matrix}1 & 2\\3 & 4\end{matrix}\right]

Step by step

  1. \det A = -2

    A matrix is invertible only when its determinant is non-zero.

  2. A^{-1} = \frac{1}{\det A}\begin{pmatrix} d & -b \\ -c & a \end{pmatrix} = \frac{1}{-2}\left[\begin{matrix}4 & -2\\-3 & 1\end{matrix}\right]

    For 2×2: swap the diagonal, negate the off-diagonal, divide by the determinant.

  3. A^{-1} = \left[\begin{matrix}-2 & 1\\\frac{3}{2} & - \frac{1}{2}\end{matrix}\right]

Reveal the answer
A^{-1} = \left[\begin{matrix}-2 & 1\\\frac{3}{2} & - \frac{1}{2}\end{matrix}\right]

Try your own

More in Linear Algebra

DeterminantsEigenvalues and eigenvectorsMatrix multiplicationRow reduction